Council prosecution sees shopkeeper fined £25k for fake iPhones and banned tobacco

An east London business owner has been ordered to pay £25,000 after 160 counterfeit iPhones and banned tobacco were found in his shop.

The Trading Standards team at Redbridge Council took shopkeeper Asif Aziz Khan to court after visiting his shop as part of a routine operation.

The council said the phone screens were not real and there were no working parts; the phones contained only a lump of metal to give them weight.  

Mr Khan stated that the phones were to be used as dummies in a proposed mobile phone business, but was not able to provide any evidence to substantiate these claims.

Khan, as company director, and his company, were both prosecuted.

The case was initially heard at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court, but the defendant chose to go to Crown Court trial.

Khan and the company were then each fined £11,700 and had to pay £950 costs, totalling £25,300. 

Cllr Jas Athwal, Leader of the Council, said: “This is a great result for our Trading Standards Team. We’re determined to protect our residents from unscrupulous traders. Redbridge Council works tirelessly to stamp out criminal behaviour and take illegal goods off our streets. These products are unregulated and are often found not to meet UK health and safety standards.

“The illegal trade also puts legitimate retailers at a disadvantage, who sell genuine products in competition with illegal untaxed articles, so we won’t let up on bringing those who flout the law to court.”